Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

NYRA

Ifelt like I could barely walk when Wren finally led me away from the training area. The muscles in my thighs trembled with every step I took, but I simply bit down on my lip to stop myself from wincing.

Wren’s voice broke the silence, soft and hesitant. “I’m sorry about Dacre. He can be…difficult sometimes.”

I raised an eyebrow and gave her a pointed look. “Difficult?”

She chuckled softly. “I promise he’s not always like that.”

I looked at her, really looked at her, and I felt desperate for her to know that I was telling the truth. At least about this.

“I’m not lying about my power.” I looked down at my hands and how useless they had been when my father made my trainer strike them until I could muster some sort of magic from my fingertips. “I have never been able to conjure any sort of magic.”

Wren’s lips curved into a gentle smile, and she beckoned me to follow her across the quaint wooden bridge. With every step we took, I couldn’t help but feel completely disoriented—every path looked the same, yet I was almost certain I hadn’t been this way before.

“I believe you. It’s just we’ve never heard of a fae who didn’t carry at least some magic. It seems impossible.”

My shoulders drew back, and my posture stiffened.

“There are occasions where there will be a delay in someone’s magic. Some people don’t really know how to manifest it until they are older.”

Tiny flickers of hope lit up inside me, and I gazed up at her. “Really?”

She nodded. “Yes, but usually they have traces of it that they can feel or use. But they don’t understand the extent of it until they are older. But I’ve never heard of someone coming into adulthood without it.”

I felt my body sag as her words hit me, all the air leaving my lungs. I was nineteen years old. If I were to have magic, it should have more than manifested by now.

“Come on.” She nodded toward a tall wooden building that looked as if it could collapse at any moment. It stood on the far edge of the cave floor, and dark water flowed by slowly. It seemed to moan with the movement of the river. “Let’s get something to eat.”

I followed Wren into the building, which turned out to be a small pub. The interior was cozy, with mismatched tables and chairs. The walls were adorned with old, rusty weapons and flaking paintings of mythical creatures that had been all but forgotten. The smell of freshly baked bread and roasted meat filled the air, making my stomach grumble.

Wren led us to a small table in the corner.

There were several people sitting at other tables, but I was caught off guard by the woman who came over to our table. I startled in my chair, the sound of it dragging against the floor jarring, and the woman narrowed her crystal blue eyes.

“Hello, Wren.” Her voice was sharp and musical. “Who’s your new friend?”

“Hey, Kit. This is Nyra. She’s a new recruit.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Nyra.”

I nodded in greeting. “It’s nice to meet you as well.”

“What can I get for you today?” Kit asked, and my gaze drifted from her face to the delicate iridescent wings that sprouted from her back. They fluttered softly in the warm glow of the lanterns, but I noticed they were frayed and worn around the delicate edges.

“The usual for both of us.”

“Give me just a few minutes.” With each step she took away from our table, her wings fluttered gently as if they had a life of their own.

“Does she have wings?” I whispered to Wren so no one else heard me.

“How long did you work in that palace?” She chuckled and leaned back in her chair. “They really had you sheltered, huh?”

I looked back in Kit’s direction, but she was already gone. “I spent my whole life there and my mother before me.”

It was another half-truth, half-lie.

“That’s unfortunate.” Wren cleared her throat. “Winged fae are a rarity, and most don’t live anywhere near the palace if they can help it. The only way King Roan can tax their power is if he can find them, and he spent years clipping their wings at every tithe so they couldn’t fly.”

He clipped their wings.

There was a small pop in the air, and the food Wren ordered appeared on our table, steam billowing off. I felt like I was going to be sick.

“Hell yes.” Wren grabbed her fork and quickly dove in, and I lifted my own fork in my hand as I searched the pub for another sighting of Kit.

She was standing behind the bar, laughing at something someone was saying, and this time when I looked at her wings, I paid more attention to the frayed edges I had noticed before. I couldn’t tell now if her wings were fluttering or quivering.

Had my father done that?

She looked up, noticing my staring, and I quickly looked away and down at my food. It was some sort of fish surrounded by root vegetables, and even though I still felt nauseous at the thought of my father’s cruelty, I took a bite.

“You know,” Wren said as she absently rapped her knuckles against the table, “I don’t think Dacre hates you.”

A loud laughter bubbled out of my throat, and the two men sitting closest to us turned in our direction. I shoveled another bite of food into my mouth.

“I’m serious.” Wren smiled. “He’s just protective.”

I scoffed. “Protective?”

“Yes. Of all this.” She waved her hand around. “Our parents spent their lives building this rebellion, my mother gave her life trying to protect it, and he feels the burden of that responsibility now more than ever.”

I wanted to ask her about her father; I also had a million questions about Dacre, but asking her to answer questions meant that I had to be willing to do the same.

“Was he protecting the rebellion when he kicked my ass in the sparring circle?”

“He didn’t kick your ass.” Wren rolled her eyes playfully. “He was pushing you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Pushing me? I’m pretty sure my tailbone might be bruised where he dropped me.”

Wren’s expression turned serious. “I know. But believe me, he’s not like that with everyone. He’s just trying to weed out anyone who might be a threat to the rebellion.”

I chewed on my lip, even as I nodded. “I can’t wait for tomorrow then.” I laughed without humor. “Hopefully, he takes out some of his aggression tonight, so he’s nicer tomorrow.”

Wren scrunched up her nose and made a gagging noise. “I do not want to think about my brother taking out his aggression.” She said the last few words dramatically, and a flush crept up my chest.

“Oh, gods. That’s not what I meant.” I stumbled over my words.

“I would much rather think about me taking out my own aggression.” Wren rested her chin on her fist. “Especially by someone who knows what they’re doing.”

A laugh bubbled out of me, and I couldn’t hide how uncomfortable this conversation made me. I hadn’t so much as kissed a man, let alone done anything more. And here I was at the dinner table thinking about her brother and whether or not he would know what he was doing.

Wren gave me a knowing grin, and I tried to divert her attention from me. “That one guy today looked like he was interested in you.”

“Tavian?” Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. “Absolutely not.”

“Why not?” He was handsome, and he looked at her like she was the best thing he had ever seen.

She waved her hand dismissively. “He’s just a friend.”

“So, who are you interested in?” I took another bite of my food and almost groaned as the flavors hit my tongue.

A blush rushed up Wren’s cheeks, and she darted her eyes away from me. “I can’t tell you all my secrets.”

Guilt panged in my chest, but I quickly pushed it away and took the last bite of my food.

“Let’s go hit the hot springs.” Wren stood and stretched. “Your body is probably going to be killing you tomorrow.”

She wasn’t wrong. I could already feel the ache in my muscles as I stood and followed her out the door.

We weaved through more trails and bridges, and this place felt more like a maze with every step we took.

“Where are the hot springs?” I asked as Wren seemed to be leading us in circles.

“Just a little farther.” She ducked under a large hanging stone, and I did the same.

The smell of sulfur in the air hit me instantly, but it was the dozens of pools of dark water in front of us that made me stop in my tracks.

The pools were surrounded by small rocks that kept the water from bleeding into one another. Steam rolled off the surface of the water like smoke, and drops of water splashed into them from the rocks above as if it were raining.

Amid the steam rising from the hot springs, I noticed a man with blistered and peeling skin on his arm gingerly dipping it into the water. He winced in pain and let out a small exhale. Sitting beside him was a woman in a cream-colored shirt and trousers, gently cupping the water into her hand and pouring it over his damaged skin. Her soft words of encouragement floated through the quiet space.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” I admitted out loud to Wren as she moved us to a small pool on the far side of the open-mouthed cave.

She caught my gaze that was still on the man who was wincing as he lowered into the pool until his shoulder was now covered by the water.

“The hot springs have many healing properties.” She pulled at the straps that held her vest to her body before lifting the weapon-filled vest and setting it on the ground at her feet. “I’ll admit, we warriors probably use them way more than anyone else.”

I followed suit, removing my own vest and placing it next to Wren’s. The hot springs were even more beautiful up close, and the heat was almost suffocatingly intense.

Wren kicked off her boots and started removing more clothing, and I followed her lead until I realized she was climbing into the water wearing nothing but her undergarments.

She lowered herself into the pool before she looked up at me expectantly. I was still covered in my uniform, and I wiggled my bare toes against the rocks.

“Come on.” She nodded toward my clothes, and I crossed my arms.

“There are a lot of people in here.”

She chuckled softly and looked over her shoulder. “This is quiet. Plus, no one is going to look. They are all far too interested in their own sore bodies. I promise.”

I looked around, and she was right. No one was looking at us. They were too busy dealing with their own aches and pains.

I glanced around one more time before slowly lowering my trousers to the ground. My shirt was long enough that it covered most of my body, and I pulled it up around my hips as I stepped into the water.

I hissed as the heat hit my skin, but as I sank deeper into the water, the warmth began to feel soothing. I let out a sigh as I dropped farther into the water, and I groaned as the heat bled over my shoulders.

You’re safe.

“I told you.” Wren leaned back against the rocks, closing her eyes. “These hot springs are miraculous.”

The heat radiated from my neck down to my toes, and I settled into the soothing sensation. My eyes fluttered closed as I nodded in agreement, letting out a comfortable sigh of satisfaction.

I felt like I was almost asleep when the sound of men’s voices drew me out of my trance.

I cautiously opened one eye and saw Dacre and Kai striding confidently side by side. They hadn’t noticed me yet; my back was angled toward them, but it was clear they were headed our way. My stomach tightened to the point of pain as they approached.

“Really, Wren?” Kai chuckled, and I sank down deeper into the water and forced my attention back on my roommate. “I heard that you barely got any sort of workout today. Yet here you are in the springs?”

Wren’s body went taut as she peeked one eye open. “Fuck you, Kai.” She stretched her arms over her head lazily, and I looked in his direction just in time to see the way he watched her body. “I get in a workout every day. But thanks for the concern.”

Dacre was quietly removing his boots, and the expression on his face was lethal.

I didn’t dare say a word to draw his attention toward me.

“You most certainly didn’t get a workout today.” Dacre peeled off his shirt, revealing a lean torso sculpted by hours and hours of training. His biceps bulged as he tossed the fabric carelessly to the ground. I couldn’t help but stare, my eyes tracing the lines of his defined muscles with fascination.

He still hadn’t noticed me, and I forced myself to look away as his thumbs hooked into the sides of his trousers.

Wren was grinning at me from across the spring, and I shook my head at her so she would quit giving me a knowing look.

“I’m pretty sure you’d be better off with a training partner who had lost his legs in battle than her.” Dacre chuckled, and my chest hollowed at his words.

“Oh, yeah?” Wren cocked her head as she studied her brother. “Please tell me more.”

Kai stepped into the water beside me, and he let out a harsh chuckle when his gaze landed on me.

“Yeah, Dacre. What is it about this girl that has you so riled up?” Kai took a seat to my left, right between Wren and me, and winked at me.

He had led me here with my hands tied behind my back only a day ago, and now he had the nerve to wink at me.

“She doesn’t rile me up. I just don’t like her.”

I sat up straighter as Dacre stepped into the water and winced as the water moved up his calf. There were scars along his skin and fading bruises.

I wondered if those were simply from training or if the cocky bastard actually saw battle.

“Don’t worry. I don’t like you either.”

At the sound of my voice, Dacre’s attention snapped to me, and he paused for a moment. Our eyes met, and I felt a shiver run down my spine under his scrutiny. His eyes fell away from mine quickly, but they lingered on my breasts before traveling down to the dark water.

I felt a flush rise up my neck and quickly sank deeper into the water, trying to hide my body from his gaze.

“I didn’t realize you were here.” Dacre’s voice was low and dangerous and lacked the playfulness he had only moments before.

“No, really?” I looked up at him as if he hadn’t just been so cruel. “You’d think I might have picked up on that when you were talking badly about me so freely.”

I gritted my teeth and tried to ignore him as he moved farther into the water. He sat as close as he could to his sister, as far as he could get from me, although I could reach out and touch him with my foot beneath the water if I wanted to.

“Trust me, I wouldn’t have come if I had known you were here.”

“Likewise.” I crossed my arms just as Wren rammed her elbow into Dacre’s side.

“Don’t be such a jerk.” Wren moved across the small pool until she was sitting right beside me. “You were right.”

Dacre cocked an eyebrow at me even as his mouth stayed in a harsh line. “It looks like I wasn’t the only one talking badly about the other.”

“I called you an ass. It’s the truth.”

The corner of his mouth curved into a half smile. “And I called you weak. It looks like we’re both just telling the truth today.”

I clenched my fists under the water, willing myself not to react to his words.

“I don’t care what you think about me.” My voice was low and forceful as I met his gaze once again.

He held my stare for a moment before nodding almost imperceptibly. “We’ll see about that.”

I rolled my eyes because this guy was so damn full of himself. Wren’s brother or not, he was an ass, and I had no interest in spending any more time with him than was necessary.

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the warmth of the water, the way the heat soaked into my muscles, but I could feel his gaze on me even as the three of them began talking.

“There were three more recruits brought in today,” Kai spoke, and I finally opened my eyes to look at him.

“And?” Dacre leaned his head back against the jagged rocks, his neck muscles straining beneath taut skin. I couldn’t help but notice the lines of tension running through his body as he exhaled heavily.

“Two of them were devout followers of the king and chose not to join.”

He said it so simply, but I knew exactly what it meant. They chose to die.

“Did you even give them a choice?” I asked before I could stop myself, and Dacre’s eyes shot in my direction.

“We always give you traitors a choice. They knew exactly who they were fighting for, what they were fighting for, and that’s what they chose.”

“Have you ever stopped to think that the people of Marmoris aren’t fighting for anything other than their own safety, for their hunger?” I sat up higher in the water as my anger fueled me. “Not everyone is worried about the war between a king and this rebellion. They are worried about putting food in their bellies, about not being killed.”

Dacre’s gaze was as dark as the water that surrounded us, and neither Kai nor Wren spoke a word.

“In this world, you don’t have the option of not choosing sides. King Roan has been draining this kingdom dry for years, and no one can survive under his rule. Those who don’t join us are a danger to us because they are still paying that man the tithe. They are making him stronger just by him sitting in his palace while we kill ourselves every day to make this kingdom a better place.” The muscles of his neck and shoulders bunched as he clenched his jaw. “Don’t speak about things that you have no knowledge of. You spent your life in that palace. You can’t possibly know anything that was happening outside of it.”

Panic clawed at my chest until I remembered that he only knew what I told him.

But there was a part of me that wanted to tell him the truth. I wanted to spew it in his face, consequences be damned, until he realized that he couldn’t possibly know what life was like in that palace, in that cage.

But I couldn’t.

“You shouldn’t speak of things you don’t know of either. You have no idea what growing up in that palace was like. You think the king is a monster, yet have you ever met him? Have you had to face him every day of your life?”

The next words that left his mouth shocked me. “Maybe you’re right.”

His gaze dropped away from my eyes, and I could have sworn he was staring at my mouth. I bit down on my bottom lip and forced myself to sink beneath the water before I did or said something stupid. The water moved over my face as I slipped below the surface, and I clamped my eyes closed.

I stayed below the water for as long as I could handle before my lungs begged for me to surface again.

My body begged me to get out of the dark water.

But there was something about me that felt stronger than before—now that I was out of my father’s kingdom and out of his reach. Dacre was a force, but I would not cower as he demanded.

I sat back up, coming out of the water until the tops of my shoulders were exposed, and as soon as I opened my eyes, all I could see were Dacre’s eyes still on me.

Wren was grinning as she looked back and forth between me and her brother. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” I nodded and pulled my attention away from him. I climbed out of the spring, forcing myself not to cover an inch of my body as I did so.

I reached for my discarded clothes before glancing back at Dacre. His eyes were lingering on my almost bare body, and they slid down until they landed on my ass.

Chill bumps formed on my skin as I grabbed my clothes and boots in my dripping wet hands.

I wanted to get as far away from him as I could.

“I’ll see you in the morning for training. Don’t be late,” Dacre said gruffly.

I turned toward him and saluted him with the hand holding my trousers. “I’ll be the weak one. You can’t miss me.”